A dedicated paediatric diabetes clinical nurse specialist is to be put in place at Letterkenny General Hospital in the coming weeks, following a four-year campaign by the parents of children with type 1 diabetes in Donegal.

Yesterday, parents and their children presented a petition containing almost 20,000 signatures to the Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly. A group of parents from the Donegal Diabetes Parents Support Group, along with the CEO and chairperson of charity Diabetes Ireland, later met with the Minister to discuss this serious issue.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, not related to weight or a sedentary lifestyle. It is not preventable or reversible and is most commonly diagnosed in childhood. Around 19,000 people in Ireland are affected.

Recent figures revealed that there are 105 children under 16 with diabetes from Donegal who are attending Letterkenny General Hospital, seven of whom have been diagnosed since January 1. Meanwhile, a further 40 teenagers aged 16-18 are attending the diabetes transition clinic at the hospital.

Last month, parents held a protest outside Letterkenny General over the state of diabetes services available to their children.

According to recommendations made by the HSE's Diabetes Expert Advisory Group, there should be one paediatric diabetes clinical nurse specialist for every 100 children and/or teenagers with diabetes. However, despite Donegal meeting this criteria, no such post is in place.

In fact, the diabetes paediatric nurse in Letterkenny General has been moved to a shared post with adult diabetes services. This, the parents insisted, deprives their children of a quality service.

Parents have also highlighted the fact that there is no funding to develop paediatric diabetes services in the HSE's 2014 service plan for the north west. Furthermore, the nearest paediatric diabetes centre of excellence is in Dublin and the post of consultant paediatrician with a special interest in diabetes in Letterkenny Hospital remains vacant.

Concerned parents last met with the Minister when he visited Letterkenny General in April 2013. At that time, he told them they were ‘reasonable people with a reasonable request'.

Last night, the parents, along with Diabetes Ireland CEO, Kieran O'Leary, and Diabetes Ireland chairperson, Prof Hilary Hoey, met with the Minister, as well as Department of Health and HSE officials.

"The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the demands of the parents for a dedicated paediatric diabetes clinical nurse specialist in Letterkenny General Hospital and we are delighted to announce that Dr James Reilly and Mr Bill Maher, CEO of the North West Hospital Group, announced that this position has been sanctioned and will be filled in the coming weeks," Diabetes Ireland said.

Those attending also discussed the possibility of locating a regional specialist centre for paediatric diabetes care in the north west. Currently, all five of the country's centres of excellence are located ‘south of the Dublin-Limerick line'.

"Parents feel their children are entitled to fair and equal treatment regardless of their geographical location, and demand the gold standard of care available in other parts of the country. This issue received a favourable response and extensive debate and further meetings will take place in the coming weeks to explore how to further develop paediatric diabetes services in the North West," the charity said.

Speaking after the meeting, Denise, Gillespie, spokesperson of the Donegal Diabetes Parents Support Group, said that the parents were ‘absolutely delighted' with the announcement about a paediatric clinical nurse specialist, and they ‘look forward to further discussions' on the development of paediatric diabetes services in the region.